Pregame
One win away from a historic qualification to the Conference League Round of 32, Maccabi arrived at Bloomfield stadium knowing that only a victory by a two-goal margin could cancel PSV’s 1-0 lead from the first leg.
Maccabi’s coach Mladen Krstajic made several changes from the side that beat Hapoel Haifa in the league on Sunday.
Sheran Yeini returned to the side on the right side of defence at the expense of the injured Andre Geraldes. The veteran captain extended his record as Maccabi’s most capped player in European competitions to lead the team out on the night. Enric Saborit who missed the match against Hapoel Haifa was named as Idan Nachmias’ partner at the heart of defence with Matan Baltaxa who scored one of the goals on Sunday, completed the back-four at left back.
Dan Glazer at the anchorman role right behind Gabi Kanichowsky and Dan Biton. Brandley Kuwas who made a second half substitute appearance in Eindhoven which was echoed at the game against Hapoel Haifa as he set-up both goals, started on the wing. Djordje Jovanovic and Stipe Perica led the line as the two forwards in charge of trying to supply the goals which could see Maccabi qualify.
First Half
Boosted by the electric atmosphere, Maccabi began the match on the front foot as a foul on Djordje Jovanovic after 2 minutes earned Maccabi a free kick deep inside PSV’s half. Dan Biton whipped in a left foot cross which Stipe Perica headed over the bar. Three minutes later, Perica cut the ball back from the byline, but none of his teammates could reach the cross and threaten the goal.
While PSV began to dominate and show their superiority, the best chance came at the opposite end. Perica charged forward down the right side of PSV’s defence and crossed the ball into the path of Biton whose glancing header crept agonisingly wide of the post. With Ibrahim Sangare giving Dan Glazer and Gabi Kanichowsky all sorts of trouble in midfield, Mario Gotze, Noni Madueke and Eran Zahavi kept Maccabi’s defence busy.
Daniel Peretz was forced to a series of punches to keep some of PSV’s corners that always looked dangerous. Erick Gutierrez was the first player to be booked by referee Herald Lechner for a foul on Jovanovic. In the 26th minute Ritsu Doan fired a close range shot which Peretz got a hand to before Kanichowsky cleared the danger.
Madueke’s trickery took him past two defenders and into the penalty area only for Peretz to charge off his line and save with his feet to deny PSV’s Englishman on the half hour mark. Kanichowsky continued to look lively in Maccabi’s midfield as his charge in the 37th minute resulted with a pass that almost released Perica clear through but was blocked by a PSV defender.
With no further clear opportunities before the break, the halftime whistle sent Maccabi down the tunnel knowing they are still in with a chance.
Second Half
None of the coaches made any changes for the restart as Maccabi began the second half with purpose and intention. Fourty five seconds into the second half, Perica, struck the base of the post as Maccabi came close.
After an initial warning from the referee concerning objects thrown onto the pitch, Lechner, bizarrely stopped the game in the 55th minute and called both teams to the tunnel. Seconds after restarting the second half for a second time, a last gasp Sheran Yeini clearance prevented PSV a clear chance to score on 63. Two minutes later, Eran Zahavi bowed out to a standing ovation as he was replaced at PSV by Carlos Vinicius.
Mladen Krstajic made his first change in the 81st minute as Nachmias limped off injured and was replaced by Maor Kandil with Yeini dropping to center back.
Just before Krstajic was about to make a double change as Tal Ben Chaim and Eyal Golasa were ready to replace Biton and Kuwas, PSV scored. Substitute Joey Veerman sent a powerful shot that deflected off one of Maccabi’s defenders to wrong-foot Peretz and take the tie beyond Maccabi’s reach. Ofir Davidzada replaced Matan Baltaxa in the 87th minute. Within a minute the left-back almost created the equaliser for Perica whose shot was saved by PSV’s keeper Joel Drommel.
Bloomfield erupted in the 90th minute as Saborit rose high to head meet Kanichowsky’s free kick and guide his header past Drommel. The fourth official signalled 9 minutes of added time giving Maccabi some hope of scoring a winner and taking the tie to extra time.
Ben Chaim tried his luck as he cut inside and shot with his left but Dommel was there to collect. Peretz went up for a corner in desperate bid to snatch a winner and even managed to stop a PSV counter attack before the referee blew the full time whistle.
